SME Series Part 3: Darien Falls in Love
by MayGirl85
Summary: Sequel to Remember Me This Way --- Darien tries to follow the wishes of Serenity and fall in love with Serena. But falling in love is never an easy thing, especially when everything she does seems to infuriate him.
1. Chapter 1: Delovely

Disclaimer:

I dont own Sailor Moon at all. Not even one DVD.

This is the third instalment to the Sailor Moon Exposed story.

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**DARIEN FALLS IN LOVE**

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**CHAPTER 1: DELOVELY**

Darien had entered the Arcade uncertain about what to do with all he had learnt over the past few days. His mystery princess was locked inside Serena's unconscious and it was up to him to fall in love with her, somehow.

_You must help her Darien, you must love her!_ Serenity had begged him.

Darien had no idea how on earth he could possibly fall in love with the meatball head. It's not like she held the qualities he desired in a girl like intelligence, a sense of duty and grace.

_It's not like you've dated a girl who had had more than one of any of those qualities Darien_, the little voice mocked. _You usually date girls who are the complete opposite of them, too scared to let someone you could love get near_, it sneered at him.

Darien sighed. He couldn't deny it and he didn't want to. He knew he couldn't do what Serenity had asked him to do half-heartedly and just take the girl on a few dates. Serenity had asked him to love her. But how could he do that when she just wasn't his type?

Having now spoken to Andrew he however felt a sense of renewed hope. If only he could see Serena, really see her like Serenity said, then he supposed that whatever he was meant to have felt (but couldn't remember right now for some reason) for her before could blossom again.

He laughed suddenly_, here I am meant to fall for her and she hates me_. Darien shook his head at the entire situation. Sure, his task was unbelievable and maybe near impossible, but he'd seen youmas, a woman disappear into thin air and had been pursuing the princess for months now only to find out she was really a memory of a dead woman from long ago. If all those things could happen in the last few days, he was logically able to consider the possibility of falling in love with Serena.

_Why am I doing this?_ His inner thoughts groaned. He was however only met with silence, the annoying little voice unusually quiet.

"Ok Darien, you can do this. You just need to find some of her good qualities. It'll be easy," he said to himself encouragingly.

Falling in love couldn't be that hard, right?

**One week later...**

A week later, Darien had his answer. It was damn near impossible to fall in love with Serena! She was infuriating! Annoying! Crazy! Every time he saw her she was wasting her time eating, playing the Sailor V game at the arcade or doing something else equally redundant.

Take day one of Operation Fall in Love. He had tried to be nice to her when she had so obviously _not_ been looking where she was going and smashed into him for the umpteenth time. But no, she blamed him, HIM, for being in her way and then when he had (gently) corrected her error...

_Flashback: "Serena you meatball head, don't you watch where you are going at all? You clearly were the one who hit me because I happen to consider those around me..."_

... she went completely off the deep end...

_Flashback: "Darien you are such a jerk! I WAS watching where I was going for your information. You just turned suddenly and ran into me! It couldn't have happened better if you had planned it!"_

"_Yeah sure meatball head, I wonder who here has a firmer grasp on the ability to walk? Me or the Queen of Klutz... YEOW!" Darien had screamed as she stomped on his foot._

"_Oh I'm sorry Darien... you know me, Queen of Klutz..."_

... it was so clear that he was not at all at fault.

Day two was worse. He had tried to point out that she had unhealthy eating habits, but she of course didn't want to listen to good sense...

_Flashback: "Serena you are such a pig. Look at that – chips, a hotdog and onion rings. Honestly, one day you are going to blow up like a blimp when your metabolism slows down."_

"_Darien, do you mind explaining to me what a metabolism is before I reply?"_

_Darien had smiled, glad she was finally being reasonable, "It's the ability of your body to get rid of food, you know, how fast it is able to do so," he had said kindly and as simply as possible._

"_Oh, well in that case, I think I don't need to worry. My metabolism will always be this fast," she had replied as she unceremoniously dumped all her food over Darien. "See Darien, all gone," she had smiled sweetly before flouncing away._

_..._ Darien could still smell the onion in his clothes.

Day three he, mercifully, didn't see her. But day four made up for that. Again, he was trying to be polite, considerate even. She was drinking this huge chocolate shake, slurping it really, and he just couldn't help but want to gently advise her against drowning herself in the milkshake...

_Flashback: "Serena, shouldn't you drink that a little more slowly?"_

"_Why Darien?"_

"_Because it would be more ladylike."_

"_So I'm not a lady?"_

"_More like a little piggy," Darien had muttered, not realising she had heard him._

"_Oh REALLY?" she had screeched at him, dumping the chocolate shake in his lap, "Hey Andrew, could I have another shake?..."_

... it seemed quite clear by day four to Darien that she just couldn't act or even pretend to be mature, especially around food. But it was far from over.

On day five Darien was innocently walking to the college to hand in his term paper. He decided to stop by the Arcade to see Andrew...

_Flashback: "Hey Andrew, how are you going?"_

"_Great Darien, you?"_

"_I'm good, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be able to come to the movie tomorrow night. I've finished my term paper and its due today."_

"_Glad to hear it Darien, I'll see you at six."_

"_Sure, see you later Andrew. I have to get to the college. They won't accept my paper if its even a minute late and its half my grade."_

"_Alright, bye Darien."_

_20 minutes later..._

_Darien ran into the Arcade, puffed and out of breath._

"_Hey Andrew, I left my term paper here."_

"_Uh, sorry Darien. Serena was here ten minutes ago and said she would take it to you."_

"_She WHAT? Now I have to go find her!" Darien groaned audibly._

_He stalked out of the Arcade to search for her, looking worriedly at his watch. He had only 15 minutes to get his paper in. He went in the direction of the college but try as he might he couldn't find her. He looked at his watch again, only five minutes to hand it in..._

"_Hi Darien," a cheerful voice said to him._

"_Serena thank heaven! Where is the term paper?" Darien demanded._

"_I don't have it anymore Darien," she had replied hesitantly._

_Darien saw red and exploded, "You WHAT? You LOST it? That paper is worth HALF MY GRADE and I have exactly five minutes from now to get it in on time! Thanks Serena, I've just failed a class because of you," he'd said angrily._

_Serena just looked at him shocked before bowing her head and running away. He watched her go merciless. She should be upset for being so irresponsible._

... Darien banged his fist on the bench in front of him. She was infuriating! How on earth could he possibly even come to really like the girl, let alone love the irresponsible, ignorant brat?


	2. Chapter 2: Pieces of the Puzzle

**CHAPTER 2: PIECES OF THE PUZZLE**

Darien found himself in a field of sunflowers. The sun was warm on his face and a gentle breeze tousled his hair.

"Darien."

He whirled around. There was only one person who could say his name like that.

"Serenity."

"We have had an interesting week now haven't we?" Serenity said arching an eyebrow at him.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were gone?"

"I told you Darien. A memory can never be forgotten and I am only returned to my rightful place. As I was able to send you dreams before I am able to speak with you now still," she explained gently. "Now, about your week..."

"I know it was horrible!" Darien groaned.

"Yes it was. You were quite mean to her," Serenity said pertly.

"I... what?!"

"You know what I am talking about."

"I do not!" Darien denied vigorously.

"You enjoy teasing her."

"I DO NOT!" he gasped.

Serenity just smiled back at him, enigmatic as ever.

"Darien, what were you trying to do this week?"

"I was trying to do what you suggested. To see you in her, remember..." his voice trailed off.

"Darien, did I not tell you that I only exist because of her? That I am only a part of her?"

"So?"

"Darien, you are being stubborn."

"I know!" Darien exploded with emotion, "I just miss you. I want to be with you-"

"But Serena is in the way?"

Darien hesitated before dropping his head and whispering, "Yes."

"Darien," Serenity said, narrowing her eyes at him, "You should be ashamed. You cannot change her, no matter how hard you try. It is one of the things I love about her, about myself. She has an unquenchable spirit. She is a fire that will not be snuffed out."

Darien nodded glumly. Serenity gave him a hard look.

"You don't deserve her," she said levelly.

Darien's head snapped up to look at Serenity with shock and confusion.

"You heard me right. Your arrogance and pride are preventing you from opening your heart. Did I not say to you that when you open your heart you will open your mind? It cannot be done the other way around," Serenity said with wisdom and some sadness.

"I don't understand," Darien whispered, feeling strangely ashamed for some unknown reason.

"I know. But you will."

.

Darien awoke with a start, feeling the familiar pull of Sailor Moon's call to him. He looked at his clock – 2am in the morning.

_Damn NegaVerse, can't attack at a decent hour_.

.

The battle was already raging when he got there and the Scouts were taking a beating. Mars was holding her right arm tightly to her side while Mercury was favouring one leg over the other. Tuxedo Mask looked at the latest NegaVerse fiend and was dismayed to see it appeared to be a jell-o type monster. Those were some of the most annoying to fight and destroy.

"Venus crescent beam... SMASH!" Sailor Venus cried, sending a spray of crescent ammunition through the jell-o fiend. The fiend only giggled.

"That tickles!" it grinned evilly, "My turn now!" it said as it shot acidic jell-o out randomly.

The Sailor Scouts cried out and leapt out of the way. Jupiter and Mercury were unfortunate enough to be hit by a small blob each and it sizzled on their skin painfully. Tuxedo Mask saw Sailor Moon get up with an incredibly ticked look on her face. She was holding her hair in her hand - a part of it had sizzled away.

"You stupid NegaTrash! Look what you have DONE!" she screamed angrily. Tuxedo Mask blanched, he'd never seen Sailor Moon look so determined to do a youma damage before. He grinned, enjoying this new side of the super heroine with whom he enjoyed a somewhat light flirtation every now and then.

_Feisty_, he thought.

The fiend foolishly laughed at Sailor Moon's new hair style. Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes and grabbed her tiara.

"Moon Tiara MAGIC!" she shouted angrily, hurling the tiara with deadly accuracy.

The youma screamed as the tiara shot through it several times before completely disintegrating.

"Well done Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said, coming to stand beside her.

"Thanks Tuxedo Mask," she replied, still frowning at the youma then turning her gaze to her singed locks.

"Sailor Moon," Mars said determinedly, "We have to _go_."

"Wait," Tuxedo Mask said.

The five scouts looked at him blankly.

"What's happened? In the last two months we have almost become enemies-" he started to say.

"But we are, aren't we? We are all looking for the crystals and let's face it you don't seem to want to share them," Jupiter said accusingly.

Tuxedo Mask sighed, "I am after the crystals yes, and for good reason..." he trailed off.

He looked up to see Sailor Moon looking nervously away while Jupiter and Mars had folded their arms and were tapping their feet impatiently. Sailor Venus and Mercury stood behind them, observing the dialogue.

"Well?" Sailor Mars snapped.

"I am looking for a princess. I need the crystals to find her," he said hesitantly. He was unsure whether he should share his mission with them or not, but he had also come to know them as fighting on the side of good no matter what. He could trust them far enough to tell them part of his story.

"Princess?" all five girls said at once.

He suddenly felt nervous, "Yes, a princess."

The girls looked at each other with knowing looks.

"Tuxedo Mask, have you dreamed of her?" Mercury asked him curiously.

"Yes, why?" he replied slowly, unsure where this line of communication was heading.

Mercury smiled, "Because we have all dreamt of a princess that we need to find too," she explained, "And I think it is unlikely that we are looking for different princesses given that we are all dreaming about a princess and we are all searching for the same crystals."

**.**

Tuxedo Mask paced the rooftop as the Sailor Scouts sat wherever they found a seat.

"So what are these dreams you are having?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

"In our dreams, we all see the princess with a prince named Endymion. Her name is Serenity. She's incredibly beautiful and he's a bit of eye candy as well," Raye said cheekily.

Sailor Moon fidgeted nervously. When she had heard the girls had all dreamt ABOUT the princess while she had dreamt that she WAS the princess, she had altered her version of the dreams to match theirs. Something told her to keep quiet about her unusual dreams.

Tuxedo Mask saw Sailor Moon fidget and felt her discomfort, "Sailor Moon, is this true?"

"Yes, we have all dreamt of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. They were very much in love but..." her voiced failed her for a moment as she remembered the heartache she had felt in her dream, "But they were separated for some reason. It killed them inside to part,' she said emotionally.

Tuxedo Mask felt the wave of strong emotion roll over her small frame, and wondered at her strong reaction to the dreams. He could only assume that the dreams of the Scouts were as powerful as his had been.

"What about you Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Venus asked him.

"In my dreams the princess is asking me to find the crystals. I have seen no prince in my dreams," he replied truthfully.

"That's interesting," Sailor Mercury said thoughtfully.

Tuxedo Mask frowned, deep in thought. He suddenly remembered his original purpose in speaking to the scouts.

"Scouts, why did you suddenly turn on me the way you did? What did I do?" he enquired briskly.

He was met with nervous silence. Sailor Moon sighed, while Mars and Jupiter shot anxious glances at their leader. Venus looked almost amused at the encounter while Mercury looked away nervously. Tuxedo Mask sighed in frustration. It was clear something had happened that he was not privy to. His eyes ran over Sailor Moon's form, outlined in the moonlight. He had to admit he was somewhat attracted to the leader of the Scouts but shook his head at his thoughts. He couldn't allow himself that luxury – could he?

_Tuxedo Mask you scoundrel_, his conscience reprimanded him, and he blushed beneath his mask.

"Look its late and we all have alter-egos who have lives to live. We should go," Sailor Mercury said smartly, breaking the silence.

"What are we to do now?" Tuxedo Mask asked the Scouts.

"I don't know," Sailor Mars replied, "But let's all think about what has happened tonight and next time we meet we can hopefully come to some sort of agreement."

Tuxedo Mask nodded his assent and, with a quick bow, promptly leapt from the rooftop.

"Well, that was interesting," Sailor Jupiter observed.

"Yes it was..." Sailor Venus murmured.

"WAHHHHHH!"

The cry startled the Scouts and they jumped, turning to see where it had come from.

Sailor Moon sniffled, "My haaaiiiirrrrr!" she said, holding the limp burnt tresses out in front of her.

The Scouts sweat dropped and crashed to the ground, aghast at their leader.


	3. Chapter 3: Schools Out

**CHAPTER 3: SCHOOLS OUT**

**The Next Day**

"Serena..." a soft voice interrupted her sleep. Serena opened her eyes to see a furry black face marked only with a golden crescent moon staring at her.

"Luna... OH I'M LATE!" Serena shrieked, scrambling out of bed.

Luna screeched as she was flung from the bed in a rush of doona.

"Sorry Luna!" Serena called out, frantically getting ready for school.

Luna shook herself off and leapt onto the bed to stare balefully at Serena, "Serena, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready for school of course!"

"On your holidays?" Luna smiled.

"On my what?"

"School is out for a month Serena, it's the mid-year holidays," Luna explained to the clueless girl.

Serena stood there still for a moment.

"WHOOPPEEEEEE!" she squealed, grabbing Luna and spinning around with her in the air.

Luna fought the urge to vomit from the force of gravity acting on her stomach.

"Serena are you up?" her father's voice queried from beyond her bedroom door, "Can I come in?"

"Yes daddy!" she said, seeing her father enter her bedroom to sit on her bed.

"Sweetie, your mother and I have a surprise for you," he said, smiling at his daughter, "We are going on a family holiday into the mountains to enjoy the snow. There is a new hotel there that your mother and I were invited to visit by some work colleagues of mine."

"Really daddy?" Serena murmured.

"Sweetie, you don't look too happy. What's wrong pumpkin?"

"I just wanted to see my friends too these holidays daddy," she sighed.

"Well sweetheart that is the surprise. Your mother and I spoke to their parents and they will all be joining us. That is, except for Raye's grandfather and Mina's parents. Raye's grandfather has to stay at the temple while Mina's parents have pressing engagements they were unable to break."

"Oh DADDY!" Serena cried, launching herself into his arms, "This is the best surprise!"

"We are leaving today as well. Mina and Raye are coming with us today while Lita and Ami's families will join us in a few days, so you had best pack now," Kenji Tsukino said, tapping his daughter on the nose.

.

"Hey Darien, what do you think you will do now its holiday season?" Andrew asked his friend as he wiped down the counter at the Arcade.

"I'm not sure," Darien replied, "I haven't got plans."

"Well why don't you join me at this new hotel in the mountains? My uncle is one of the investors and invited me to be at the opening. It'll be great to enjoy the snow this time of year."

"I don't know Andrew... there are some things I have to do here."

"Like what Dare?"

"Beg college administration to allow me to resubmit my paper that meatball head lost," Darien said somewhat bitterly.

"Well, why don't you find that out today and then we can go from there?" Andrew said encouragingly.

"Sure, I'll be back right after Andrew," Darien smiled, "And Andrew, uh... thanks."

"No problem," Andrew replied knowingly. Darien had lost his parents to a car accident when he was very young and had no known family. Andrew had come to see him as a brother and hoped one day that Darien would be able to enjoy having a family of his own.

The door chimed as Darien left and Raye and Ami entered.

"Hey Andrew," the girls said, seating themselves at the counter.

"Hi girls, how are you? Do you have plans for the holidays?"

"YES!" they said in unison with bright smiles lighting their faces.

"Well you'll have to tell me now!" Andrew exclaimed.

"You know that new hotel in the mountains? Serena's dad organised with all of our parents for us all to go. I'm leaving with her and Mina today while Ami and Lita will be up with their parents in a few days," Raye said excitedly.

"Yes, it was wonderful of Mr Tsukino to organise for us girls to be together these holidays," Ami added politely.

"No kidding? I'm going there myself," Andrew said gobsmacked, "My uncle is an investor there and invited me up these holidays."

"Wow, then I guess we will see you there." Raye smiled.

"Yeah, I should be there at the end of the week. I just need to organise for someone to run the Arcade while I'm away and then I'm free to enjoy myself."

"That sounds great Andrew. Listen I have to go pack. Serena's family will be at the temple to pick me up soon. We should keep you coming up a surprise, Serena will be totally surprised to see you arrive!" Raye grinned conspiratorially.

"Yeah... I'll bet. I've invited Darien," Andrew smiled sheepishly.

Raye just smirked all the more, "Excellent. We'll have some entertainment then."


	4. Chapter 4: Suprised by Serena

**CHAPTER 4: SURPRISED BY SERENA**

Darien walked into the administration office, prepared to commit one of the greatest acts of grovelling in the history of begging. He took a deep breath and knocked on office door of Patrizia Lun that hung slightly open.

"Darien, please come in and take a seat," she said, placing the paper she was grading onto the desk.

Darien took a seat and waited politely for her to facilitate the conversation.

"So Darien, how can I help you?"

Darien shifted nervously in his seat, "Ms Lun, I have come to request an extension to my term paper that I was... unable to submit on time," he said, somewhat unnerved that he was having to actually do this. He had never ever not submitted an assignment on time.

She frowned and Darien bit his tongue to keep the distressed groan that had risen in him from exiting his lips.

"Darien, you have no assignments that are late as far as I can tell. I just finished marking them," she said slowly, studying the young man in front of her from behind her fashionable reading glasses.

Darien just looked blankly back at her, unsure what she was talking about.

"Yes, there is one. My term paper for physics," he said equally slowly, "A... uh... friend of mine misplaced it and I was unable to submit it on time."

"This friend... was she blonde?" Patrizia said, suddenly making the connection.

"Uh yes. Serena," Darien managed to choke out. He was still upset at her for losing his assignment.

"Yes, Serena. She's a lovely girl. I found her wandering the campus very frustrated. She looked a bit too young to be a student here so I asked her if I could help her. She was such a dear, saying that she had found her friend's assignment (I assume you are that friend) and wanted to hand it in for him before the deadline. By then the deadline had passed, probably because she had gotten lost on the campus. But I let it slip in just for her," Patrizia smiled, "I wish there were more young ladies like her who cared for their friends that way."

Darien felt the blood drain from his face. Serena had handed in his assignment for him, she hadn't lost it, and he had been so mean to her...

"Oh, and here are your assignments back. You may as well have them now. May I say well done Darien, you continue to be a top student here," Patrizia smiled as she handed him the papers.

Darien just stared at the papers now in his hands and stammered a thankyou before rising from his chair and leaving the office.

_Hahahahaha you are such a jerk_, the little voice in the back of his mind laughed mercilessly at him.

_._

Darien trudged back to the Arcade feeling lower than pond scum. Serena had gone out of her way to help him and he had assumed she had klutzed up again.

_You are so low Darien_, he mentally kicked himself.

He opened the door to the Arcade slightly to see if she were there. He just couldn't face her right now, knowing that he had been such a jerk. Seeing that the Arcade was virtually empty, he shuffled inside and sat himself beside Ami and Lita. They were chatting to Andrew about some holiday trip.

"I am so exited! We will get to see the snow and everything!" Lita pumped her fist in the air to emphasise said excitement.

"Yeah I know. Serena is going to be so surprised when I turn up," Andrew laughed.

"Turn up where Andrew?" Darien asked, confused at their conversation.

"The girls' parents organised for them to spend the holidays up at that new hotel I told you about. Serena, Raye and Mina are already on their way there. Lita and Ami will be going in a day or two," Andrew explained.

"Oh," Darien said gloomily.

"What's wrong Darien?" Andrew asked, seeing that his friend was slightly upset by something.

"You know that term paper I told Serena off for?" Darien began.

"Oh, so you finally found out about that?" Lita interrupted.

Darien swung around to look at her, "You knew?"

"Of course," Ami piped up, "Serena tells us everything. She knew you would find out she hadn't lost it when you got your marks."

"Great, so everyone knows what a jerk I was to her," he mumbled to himself.

"Yep!" Lita said cheerily, "But don't worry about it. She'll forgive you."

"How?" Darien asked, "I was really mean."

"Because that's who Serena is Darien. She's the best friend anyone can have," Ami answered.

Darien looked at the two girls beside him blankly, a thought forming in his mind, "So, why do you say that?"

Ami smiled, "She was the only person who befriended me at school. I used to study all the time and she just ingratiated herself into my life somehow and saved me from myself. Without her, I wouldn't have the friends I do today," she said, smiling pointedly at Lita.

"Yeah," Lita jumped in, "I had, haha, gotten into some trouble before transferring to Serena's school. When I got there everyone knew about it and no one would come near me. That was until I brought some homemade rice balls to school. That girl can smell good cooking a mile away! She just sat down next to me and started chatting away like she had known me forever," Lita smiled wistfully.

Darien blinked. This was a different side of meatball head to the ignorant klutz he'd had the privilege of being bowled into every other morning. He looked at Andrew, "And you?"

"Geez Darien I don't even remember. She just popped up in my life one day and suddenly I had another little sister," Andrew grinned at the happy memories he had of the sunny girl.

Darien sat there baffled. He hadn't even seen, for all his supposed intelligence, the strong bonds of friendship Serena had with those around her. He suddenly wanted that, and to share in the warmth that the three people before him obviously enjoyed every day because they knew Serena.

"So Andrew," he said nonchalantly, "When do we leave?"


	5. Chapter 5: Winter Wonderland

**CHAPTER 5: WINTER WONDERLAND**

**Three days later**

It had been three days since Serena, Mina and Raye had arrived at the White Haven Hotel. They had explored the entire grounds together, checked out the cute guys and picked one for themselves and Ami and Lita when they arrived, as well as signed up to do some activities to keep them occupied. Serena had secretly signed up to do some tutoring this holiday as well, hoping that she could improve her grades next semester and make her parents proud.

"Hey Serena, what next?" Raye said, bounding up to her friend.

"Um, I was just going to go for a walk in the gardens. I know they are frozen over but I just like to walk through the hedge maze anyway," Serena replied.

Raye grimaced, "Well I'm going to the hot tub with Mina where we shall be served many fruits by cute busboys!" she said with a wicked smile before turning and running off to find Mina, but not before calling out over her shoulder, "Remember – the girls will get here today!"

Serena smiled a small smile. What she hadn't told Raye was that she had discovered an incredible lake just past the maze with a smooth flat surface that she could ice skate on. She had found it yesterday morning and had checked the ice to make sure it was thick enough to support her weight, happy to find that it was. She grabbed the bag beside her and made her way out of the hotel, down the slope and into the gardens. There she found a small path that led behind the maze and to her own private ice skating lake.

Arriving at the lake, she sat down on a large rock and put on her worn-in skates. She had been skating since she was young and it came naturally to her to do small leaps and twists. She loved the feeling of being graceful on the ice, even if she wasn't on dry ground! Tying the final lace, she stepped onto the frozen lake and let herself glide smoothly across the ice.

.

"Here we are!" Andrew said cheerily, pulling his car up into a parking space at the White Haven Hotel.

Ami and Lita gasped as they saw the beautiful wooden old-style design of the hotel. It was a large building with verandahs and windows all around. Taking their bags, they made their way up the steps into the foyer and were greeted with antique furnishings and warm lighting. Their eyes took in the high ceiling decorated with painted cherubs and gaped at the huge ballroom to their right.

"Ahem," a soft voice interrupted, "Lita and Ami I presume?" the young man enquired.

"Yes," Ami said shyly.

He smiled, "My name is Greg and I shall escort you to your room." He turned away and motioned for them to follow.

Ami started forward, quickly swinging back to Lita with a happy grin on her face before replacing it with a soft curl of her lips as she turned back to follow Greg. Lita only laughed at her obviously infatuated friend. Darien and Andrew had meanwhile followed the girls inside, rolling their eyes at the girls when Greg had introduced himself.

"Come on Darien, I already know where our room is and will have our stuff sent up. Let's check this place out," Andrew said, grabbing his friend's arm.

Andrew dragged Darien around the hotel, his eyes popping out of his head at every pretty girl while Darien just rolled his eyes, completely uninterested. They had been to every room in the hotel, including the ball room, games room, bar and meeting area and now Andrew had decided they should check out the heated pool. They stepped outside to be greeted by the sight of Mina and Raye giggling in the hot tub. Andrew's eyes practically exploded out of his head when he saw Mina in her bikini.

"Hey Andrew, Darien," she called to them lazily before popping another strawberry into her mouth.

"Andrew, pick your jaw up," Darien whispered, nudging his friend in the ribs as he went over to greet the girls.

"Hey girls, having fun I see," he drawled amicably.

"Lots," Raye said to Darien, though she smiled at a boy nearby who was obviously staring at the dark haired beauty.

"Where's Serena guys?" Andrew finally said, having managed to successfully pick his jaw up from the floor and behave normally, though his heart was thumping in his chest.

"Oh she's around somewhere while we preferred a much warmer and more leisurely activity," Mina purred as she stretched, enjoying Andrew's obvious discomfort around her.

Once again, Darien rolled his eyes, "Come on Andrew, let's look around the grounds a bit," he said.

"Uh, on second thought Darien I think I might enjoy a bit of a dip. You go," Andrew said, shooing him away.

Darien just shook his head and left to wander the gardens. He wandered down an incline and into a private Japanese-style garden. The ground was decorated with white paved tiles with small black stones in between. A small frozen river made its way under a bridge that led to a red gazebo in the middle of the garden. It was a little paradise surrounded on all sides with high hedges. Darien wandered through it before finding an entrance to a maze. He picked his way carefully through it, easily able to find the exit. He grinned at his own success before turning to view the landscape before him.

.

Serena had finished skating and had managed to put her shoes back on without getting her socks wet on the snow. She had enjoyed ice skating again and vowed she would come back again when she got some time alone. A rustling from the maze behind her caused her to jump slightly and hide behind a tree to keep from being found. She didn't want the others to know she had been here because then they would just know where to look for her when she disappeared.

.

Darien was surprised to see a beautiful wide lake stretching out in front of him. Its surface was smooth and he wondered if it would be good to skate on. He strode forward through the snow and placed a foot on the ice to test its density.

.

Serena gaped at the young man who stood with his back to her with one foot on the ice. How could Darien be here? She decided she didn't want to stick around to find out and as silently as she could, made her way back to her secret path and back to the hotel.

.

Darien felt eyes watching him and he whirled around to see who was behind him. He frowned when he saw no one there, his senses were rarely wrong. With one final tap on the ice he was satisfied that it was thick enough to support his weight should he decide to do some skating. He started to walk back to the maze, but not before he saw a pair of footprints in the snow leading away from the lake.

_So someone was there..._


	6. Chapter 6: Got Talent?

**CHAPTER 6: GOT TALENT?**

**That night**

Serena dressed for dinner in a knee-length white skirt with a pale blue top. She quickly redid her hair in its usual style and skipped out of the bathroom.

"Mina! Bathroom is all yours," Serena called out, flopping onto a couch. She surveyed the plush room before her. Warm pink carpets complemented the white walls nicely. Old-time furniture adorned the room while the lounge opened out onto a balcony. It was a two bedroom room in the hotel, and she was sharing it with her four friends.

"Thanks Sere," Mina said, casually strolling into the bathroom. She looked killer in her simple black dress.

A knock at the door came, signalling that dinner was ready. Quickly shooting one last glance at her reflection, Serena gathered her wits and made her way to the dining hall. She walked down the hallway and found herself at the top of the stairs in the main foyer. She started down the stairs only to see a familiar blonde standing at the bottom.

"Andrew!" she squealed, rushing to give him a bear hug.

"Serena, surprised to see me?" Andrew said jovially.

"Totally, what are you doing here?"

"My uncle invited me."

"That's great. You, me and the girls get to hang out for a few weeks then. It's like we never left home," she smiled.

"It certainly seems so doesn't it meatball head?" Darien teased behind her.

"Oh Andrew, did you have to?" Serena pouted, seeing Darien.

Andrew only laughed in response while Darien quirked an eyebrow. It irritated Serena that no matter what the dark haired man did he was gorgeous.

_Snap out of it meatball head, its DARIEN_, Serena thought ferociously. _But still he looks good_, she thought as her head turned slightly to the side to appreciate Darien's figure.

_What is she doing?_ Darien thought, seeing her head tilt. She smiled at him.

"So Darien, that ugly green jacket finally buried and gone?" she smirked.

"Maybe you'll consider losing the hairstyle then meatball head," Darien shot back, somehow enjoying the verbal repartee.

"Hey guys, started fighting already?" Raye smiled as she, Lita, Mina, and Ami stepped up to them.

"You knew?" Serena hissed at Raye.

Raye only smiled.

"Come on, dinner is ready," Ami said, leading the way into the dining room.

The group sat together at a table while dinner was served. Remarkably Darien and Serena managed not to talk to eachother much at all which made the dinner pass by relatively civilly. Their banter was interrupted by a soft drum roll as the lights lit up a small stage to the front of the room.

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the White Haven Hotel. We hope you have a pleasant stay. My name is Gerald Jung and I am pleased to be your host for your stay. We at the White Haven Hotel want your stay to be memorable. We want to see you meet new people and make this place a welcoming and friendly hotel. To this end, we have decided to begin a tradition here that we hope will last a lifetime. We will be having a talent contest. It is to be held in two weeks, though we will not tell what the prize is just yet," he paused, smiling at his audience before continuing, "We hope that many of you will join in. Now, please enjoy your dinner."

Gentle applause erupted in the room and faded away as Mr Jung stepped away from the microphone and off the stage.

"Did you hear that? A talent contest. This could be fun!" Lita said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I could do a small fire show like in the temple," Raye added.

"What Raye, you'll burn the place down you pyro!" Serena exclaimed jokingly.

Raye narrowed her eyes at her friend, "Oh? And what about you?"

"Uh, I don't think I'll enter it..." Serena stuttered.

"Good thing meatball head. No need to embarrass yourself," Darien jibed.

Serena shot him a glare.

"I think you should sing something Serena," Mina suggested evilly.

"Shut. Up. I will do no such thing," Serena bit out at her, glaring at Mina.

"Can't sing huh meatball head?" Darien mocked her, enjoying riling her up.

"Yeah Serena, can't sing?" Raye repeated with equal mockery.

_That's it_, Serena thought, "Fine, I'll sing. But you all have to do something as well. I'm not going to be the only one to humiliate myself up there!" she growled.

"Fine. Done," Lita smiled as they all shook hands.


	7. Chapter 7: A Week Flys By

**CHAPTER 7: A WEEK FLYS BY**

**The Next Day**

Serena woke early to the sound of Mina snoring softly on the bed beside her. Quietly getting dressed she grabbed her ice skates and made her way to her lake. The morning air was very chilly, but perfect for ice skating. Arriving at the lake she slipped on her skate and stepped onto the ice, gliding over it expertly. She sighed, wishing that she were as good at school as ice skating. She only had an hour before her study session with her assigned tutor, though she didn't look forward to it she knew it would be good for her.

She turned to glide backwards, one arm strung out behind her and one in front to balance her. She turned a graceful circle before continuing on skating forward. She closed her eyes, enjoying the cool air against her cheeks.

"Serena?!"

A voice broke her quiet solitude and she opened her eyes to see Darien about 2 metres away on the edge of the lake. She was so surprised to see him that she forgot to stop and about two seconds later she barrelled into him and they both tumbled to the snow.

"Damn it Darien you shouldn't scare people like that!" she hissed at him, getting up off him having fallen straight on top of the gorgeous young man.

"Whatever meatball head, here we are a thousand miles from home and you still managed to crash into me," he shot back, glaring at her with those perfect ocean blue eyes.

_Serena stop gawking at him. He's just a guy, a gorgeous spunk but he is just a guy_, she told herself. She glared at him before storming off.

"Where are you going?" Darien shouted after her.

"I have an appointment," she tossed back at him over her shoulder, huffing her way back to the hotel, _Stupid Darien ruining my ice skating time._

.

"Hi, you must be Serena, I'm Seiya," the dark haired young man introduced himself as Serena entered the meeting room.

"Hi yes, I'm Serena," she replied brightly, not noticing his approving gaze at the attractive young woman in front of him.

"So, what do you need help in?" Seiya asked lightly

"Oh, well, everything," she laughed.

"Ok, well let's start with maths and then see where we can go from there, would you take a seat?" Seiya said, gesturing to the seat beside him.

"Sure, but Seiya, can you do me a favour?" she pleaded, her blue eyes large.

Seiya thought at that moment he would gladly leap from a cliff if she only asked.

"Can you not tell anyone you're helping me study? I'm kinda embarrassed about it," she said shyly.

"Sure, no problem," he smiled, "So let's begin then shall we?"

.

"Who's that guy Serena is with?" Mina whispered to Raye, spying on Serena and the mystery man from behind a fern.

"I don't know Mina, but they look cosy," Raye replied.

"Who looks cosy?" Ami asked, coming around the corner.

"SHH!" Mina admonished her, pointing toward Serena.

"Wow," Lita said, joining the three other girls, "They do look cosy."

The four girls gaped as the mystery man oh-so-casually put his arm behind Serena and onto the chair behind her.

"What are you four doing?" Andrew interrupted them.

"SHH!" four voices hissed at him.

"Huh?" he said, looking at where they were pointing, finally seeing Serena with a dark haired young man. His eyes widened, not sure what to think. Serena had never really taken an interest in any boys from the Arcade, and he wondered why she was suddenly sitting with this guy.

"What's going on? Who are you spying on?" Darien said, coming up to the five people who were all hiding behind a fern.

"SHH!" all five hissed at him, pointing.

He followed their gazes to see a young blonde girl sitting with a dark haired young man. They appeared to be engaged in talking about something terribly interesting. The young man had his arm resting on the seat beside her and she seemed oblivious to this obviously possessive move. Darien finally focussed on the blonde girl, and realised it was Serena.

"What!" he exclaimed.

"SHHH!"

"Sorry," he whispered back. Darien's heart twisted in a funny way as he watched the two in the corner. He didn't like the feeling, but couldn't name exactly what it was he was feeling except that he didn't like Serena sitting with that guy!

"Come on guys, let's leave them alone," Mina finally said, dragging her friends away.

Darien gave the young man a final hard stare before allowing himself to be pulled away.

.

"So you see, the hypotenuse is simply this line here and equal to 'c'," Seiya explained to Serena.

She smiled, she finally got it, "Thanks Seiya, I get it now."

"You're welcome. I think we can call it quits today. I don't want your brain fried."

"Sounds good to me!" Serena said with a soft laugh. Her brain was a bit worn out!

"So are you going to enter the talent contest?" Seiya said conversationally, not wanting to leave just yet.

"Yeah, my friends and I all agreed to enter. I'll be singing... something," she replied.

"Sounds good. I'm going to enter it with my two brothers. We are in a band," Seiya said a little shyly, "We hope to make it big one day."

"That's a great dream Seiya, I'm sure you can do it," Serena replied encouragingly, "I have to go now, I've got some things planned with my friends. But I will see you same time tomorrow?"

"Of course, can't wait," Seiya replied with a mysterious smile.

.

The week passed by too quickly for the four girls and two young men. Every morning Serena would wake up early to ice skate at her secret spot and then meet Seiya for tutoring. Mina and Raye would flirt with all the young men in the games room, challenging them to games of pool and winning easily. Lita would exercise for a couple hours while Ami read. They would meet for lunch and then together go skiing or swimming. Darien didn't bother Serena much and she either chose to ignore him or completely didn't notice him at all. After an afternoon's activities they would return to their rooms to practice for the talent contest, each determined to do their best and hopefully win. They would then come together for dinner and then retire to bed. All in all it was a relatively peaceful week on the surface.

However below the however the tension bubbled. Seiya was seriously attracted to Serena, though she had no idea and did not return his feelings. Darien had started to tear his hair out seeing Serena with this strange guy every morning while Andrew was tying himself in knots over Mina. Ami was also head over heels for Greg and secretly met him when he had finished his shift for coffee. Raye had been secretly crushing on Chad, a rock star staying at the hotel while Lita felt lonely having not found a guy worthy of her attentions. Meanwhile, Serena had become more and more unnerved by Darien who had twice interrupted her ice skating.

With all this underlying angst, next week was sure to get a lot more interesting.


	8. Chapter 8: Jealous Much?

**CHAPTER 8: JEALOUS MUCH?**

**Week Two**

Darien woke early, hoping to get some ice skating in today before the day's activities began. He was however unhappily met with Serena who was skating over his lake. He gritted his teeth, annoyed at her for some reason.

"Hey meatball head why don't you find somewhere else to skate?" he sneered at her.

"Why don't you? I was here first," she shot back.

"Because I happen to be able to ice skate, you being only an amateur, don't deserve the privilege of being on the ice," he smirked at her.

"Oh really? Well Darien, let's have a contest. Anything you can do, I'll do better," she smirked back at her.

_Something isn't right, she's too confident_, the voice warned him. Darien ignored the warning. He was determined to beat her.

"Alright! Do this then," he challenged. Gathering some speed he skated around the lake before stopping suddenly, sending a shower of ice over Serena. He gloated, expecting her to squeal at him but she didn't. She only did exactly as he did, _Only better_, the little voice said.

_Shut up_, Darien scowled.

"Ok, smarty pants I see, well what about this?" Gathering some speed again he skated around the lake to stop in a quick spin on the spot. Grinning at Serena, he bowed with an arm out, "Your turn?"

She smiled at him and skated around the rink to slow into a quick spin... but then she lifted her leg up behind her, grasping it with her hands she spun around gracefully, slowing to a complete stopped. She looked at him victoriously.

Darien gulped, but was not one to be beat, "Ok fine. I've been nice but you can only win if you beat this," he said. Skating furiously to the end of the lake he skated back toward her and leapt into the air to do a neat spin, landing gracefully on the ice. He stopped right in front of her, chest to chest, looking down at her and daring her to beat him.

"You are so done Darien," she murmured with glee, poking him in the chest.

He watched, gobsmacked, as the klutzy girl skated gracefully to the end of the lake. She stopped fully before gathering speed again to leap in the air and do a double pirouette, landing daintily on the ice. She stopped in front of him with the biggest smirk on her face.

"I win," she smiled, "But I have to meet Seiya now so you can keep the ice. Use the time to uh... practice," she said, delighted to finally have something over Darien.

Darien could only stare as she skated away.

"Hey Darien, so this is where you have been sneaking away to!" Andrew's voice interrupted him.

"Uh yeah. Did you SEE that?" Darien gasped.

"Yeah I did, she kicked your ass man," Andrew chuckled.

"You don't sound surprised Andrew," Darien said, turning to his friend.

Andrew had the biggest grin on his face, "She told me once that she has skated since she was young. She used to be in competitions, only minor stuff really though. I don't know why she stopped. She loves to skate," Andrew happily narrated to his friend.

"Yeah," Darien said, running his hand through his hair, "She's off to see that Seiya guy," he said bitterly.

"Jealous much!" Andrew remarked.

"I am NOT," Darien practically shouted.

Andrew only grinned in response.

Darien sighed. He didn't know what he was feeling. He was pretty sure it WASN'T love though, and was frustrated because of it. Sure Serena was a nice enough girl, mostly annoying, and obviously had some hidden talent so she wasn't completely without merit. It annoyed him that she was hanging out with Seiya as it just added boy-crazy to the list of things about her he didn't like about her. But at the same time she had friends who thought the world of her and loved her like a sister. Even Andrew loved Serena as a sister. So how come he wasn't affected?

.

Andrew studied his quiet friend. He had noticed Darien's upset over Serena spending time with Seiya this past week and was convinced that Darien had feelings for Serena. But what they were or how strong they might be he didn't know. Darien was a strange one, and had built high walls around his heart. He still yet hoped that those walls would come down one day. Maybe Serena was just the girl to do it. She was a strange girl too he thought with a smile. She knew just the way to wriggle into someone's life and heart. She would be the perfect one to sneak around those walls Darien had built up.

.

**That night...**

"Darien."

"Serenity, interrupting my dreams again I see," Darien smiled at the beautiful young woman in front of him.

"Yes. Fallen in love yet?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"No," Darien replied back levelly. He would fall in love on his own time. Having someone pressure you did not help.

"Why ever not? I can't see what your problem is," Serenity chided him with a sardonic look.

"She is my problem. Yeah she's nice enough but so what?" Darien threw back at her.

"Mm Darien, still thinking with your head and not that cold heart of yours," Serenity threw back. She didn't want to be cruel, but he did need a push. He was very stubborn!

"You should talk, you led me on for months with promises of nothing," Darien shot back, hurt.

Serenity glared at him as she never had before, "How dare you," she whispered quietly, her anger radiating from her like a heat wave, "I have done no such thing."

"Liar! _Bring me the crystal Darien_," he mocked.

Serenity started to glow red in his dream, "You don't deserve her love you coward! I'm sorry to say that I have made a mistake and that it would be a crime for me to even encourage you to go anywhere near that innocent girl!"

"That's fine because she's not worth loving!" he shot back, angry and frustrated.

"Then why so jealous?" she mocked, pushing his buttons purposefully. If he couldn't crack open the walls of his heart she would make him explode!

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" he screamed at her.

"Oh?" Serenity said with a calm, yet menacing gaze.

Images of Serena with Seiya suddenly infiltrated his dream. Seiya with his arm around her on the chair; the two laughing together; Serena smiling up at Seiya; Seiya staring at Serena adoringly, the images cut into him with a pain he hadn't known he could feel.

"STOP IT!" he shouted.

"Why? You don't care? Look at them. It's only a matter of time before he steals her heart, and perhaps even me with her..." she said coldly, giving Darien one final glance. He was being incredibly stubborn and it pained her to hurt him, but she had to get him to see!

"Well, seeing as you aren't interested I guess this is goodbye. Goodbye Darien," she said softly.

And she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9: Misery Loves Company

**CHAPTER 9: MISERY LOVES COMPANY**

Darien awoke to find himself in an evil mood, so he headed to the lake for some early morning ice skating. He found himself frustrated to find that Serena wasn't there this morning as she had been before.

_Lucky for her_, he thought darkly.

He skated for half an hour but found no joy in it and so decided to get some breakfast. He put his skates away before wandering into the dining hall. He sat silently by himself, not really enjoying the tasty meal before him. To his great annoyance his silence was broken by a soft giggle across the room. He glared at the source of his annoyance, and saw that it was Serena.

_Naturally, _he thought sarcastically.

She was alone with Andrew having breakfast. If that didn't annoy him, the sudden fact that she pushed her hand into his blonde hair above his forehead really set him off. He practically steamed with anger.

_Stupid girl ruining my nice quiet breakfast_, he fumed.

He suddenly decided he had had enough of the spectacle and walked over there to tell them to shut up.

.

Andrew saw his friend coming and was shocked to see the deep anger on his face.

"Darien-" Andrew began, but was cut off by the very person he had been speaking to.

"You know what meatball head, why can't you just grow up and act like a young lady huh? You've been running around like an idiot the last few days fawning over Seiya who clearly doesn't see you as anything other than a silly little brat. Why you bother I don't even know," Darien sneered cruelly at her.

Andrew gaped at the nastiness of his friend. He turned his eyes to Serena to see her staring up at Darien, frozen from the shock of the onslaught. But with a small cry she leapt from her chair and ran from the room. Darien just watched her go with a satisfied look on his face.

"DARIEN WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Andrew shouted at his friend, grabbing him by the collar.

"I'm sick of her Andrew. She's annoying and needs to grow up," Darien snorted.

"You are a real jerk Darien. The only one who needs to grow up here is you," Andrew scowled at him, "Now go apologise before I break your nose."

"Oh FINE!" Darien replied with exasperation.

.

Darien strolled out of the room to find Serena and apologise for his outburst. He started to feel bad for what he said, she really hadn't don't anything and he had been a tad nasty. The feelings of remorse that he had however disappeared the moment he turned onto the veranda to see Serena being held tightly by Seiya. Her head was buried in his chest and he stroked her hair, whispering in her ear. She nodded, and from behind her Darien could see her look up at Seiya who in turn kissed her on the forehead. Darien saw red and decidedly spun on his heel and marched right back up to his room.

.

"Oh Seiya he was so mean!" Serena sobbed into Seiya's chest.

"Hey it's going to be ok," Seiya whispered into her ear, clutching her tightly to him.

"I... hic... he was being nice this week... hic... and... I don't know," she cried.

"Shh, it's going to be ok Serena, I'm here," he said, stroking her hair.

She nodded against his chest and lifted her tear stained face to him. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. Looking up, he saw the retreating back of Darien as he stormed away. Seiya sighed. It was obvious the guy cared for her, but he was acting irrationally. He wondered if Serena felt something for him too. He hoped not, but he wasn't blind to the fact that she wasn't really returning his interest in her. He sighed again, maybe he would speak to the guy tomorrow and talk some sense into him.

.

The rest of the day passed quietly. The girls found out about Darien's nastiness and were horrified. Andrew was angry with him too and almost refused to speak to him. Darien remained upset and angry, and took it out on a punching bag in the hotel gym. Serena for the most part stayed in her room.

"Hey Serena, do you want to have dinner in here tonight?" Mina asked kindly.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Serena sniffled.

Darien refused to come out of his room and Andrew was too overwhelmed by the day's events to have an appetite, and so the day ended with everyone staying in their rooms for the rest of the day.


	10. Chapter 10: Things Get Ugly

**CHAPTER 10: THINGS GET UGLY**

**The Day After Yesterday...**

The next morning Serena crept down to the meeting room for her tutoring session with Seiya. She was glad to find that he was the only one there. After yesterday she didn't feel up to seeing a lot of people at the moment.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he said, as she sat beside him. He put an arm around her and squeezed, "You ok after yesterday?"

"Yeah, I feel a bit better," she sighed, resting her head momentarily on his shoulder before straightening up, "Thanks for being there," she smiled.

"No problem," Seiya smiled back.

.

Darien stood in the doorway of the meeting room. He had hoped to grab a coffee early and avoid everyone, but it seemed his luck was not working at the moment. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of Seiya hugging Serena and the way she rested her head on his shoulder. He strode over purposefully to stand in front of them at the table.

.

Seiya looked up to see Darien standing over he and Serena, and the man looked murderous.

_He does have feelings for her_, he mused.

Seiya instinctively pulled Serena closer to him, worried at Darien's mood. A jealous man is a man capable of doing things he wouldn't normally do. He looked at Serena. She stared up at Darien, almost terrified of the angry man staring at her accusingly. Seiya sighed, he had to do something to break the tension.

"Darien, can we talk?" he asked.

Darien curtly nodded.

"Serena, wait here ok? I'm going to go calm him down," Seiya said comfortingly.

"Ok," she whispered back with wide eyes.

_I could fall in love with those eyes_, Seiya thought sadly, knowing the feeling probably wouldn't be returned.

He stepped outside to see Darien facing him, arms folded over his chest.

"Well?" Darien said menacingly.

"Darien, I know you have feelings for her," Seiya began.

"I do NOT," Darien replied emphatically, "You on the other hand need to keep your hands to yourself. She's a child," he said bitingly.

"She's 15 Darien, and growing into a lovely young woman. You'd have to be blind not to see it," Seiya replied levelly.

"Exactly. She's 15 and doesn't need a guy like you taking advantage of her," Darien accused.

"What do you mean by that?" Seiya replied dangerously, stepping toward Darien.

"You know exactly what I mean by that," Darien said, stepping toward Seiya.

The two faced off.

"Leave her alone," Darien snarled.

"You don't deserve her after yesterday!" Seiya barked back.

That one sentence broke Darien's usually strong resolve and he swung a punch at Seiya, catching him on the chin. Seiya grunted at the blow but swung himself around and tackled Darien to the ground. The two rolled around grappling but were unable to get another hit in as two large men dragged them away from eachother.

"You two, stay away from eachother from now on. If I catch you fighting again I will kick you both out!" the manager threatened, looking at both men fiercely to make his point.

"Yes sir," they grumbled in unison.

.

"Darien, what were you thinking?" Andrew sighed at his friend laying morosely on his bed as he stared at the ceiling.

Darien groaned, "I don't know Andrew, something is wrong with me."

"I bet I can guess," Andrew muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Darien," Andrew replied. "Are you coming down stairs?"

"No, I'm going to stay here. I need to rest a bit I think. Calm down," Darien replied emotionless.

"Ok Dare. I'll be downstairs if you need me," Andrew said reassuringly to his friend.

.

"Serena honey are you ok?" Mina asked, hugging her friend on her bed.

"No, it was horrible Mina, I don't understand what's going on!" Serena cried.

"Shh, it's going to be ok," Mina said, stroking her friends hair.

"I'm going to stay here today Mina and rest," Serena mumbled through her tears.

"Ok sweetie, you do that, I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Mina left the room quietly and made her way downstairs. She bumped into Andrew on the way and they looked at eachother knowingly.

"Darien is crazy about her isn't he?" Mina asked Andrew.

"Yeah, I think he is, but he doesn't know it. He's never been in love before and he's never had to deal with such strong emotions," Andrew replied.

"Should we do something?"

"No I don't think so. It might make it worse and I think we should just give it some time to blow over before we even think about doing anything," Andrew replied wisely.


	11. Chapter 11: Forgiven

**CHAPTER 11: FORGIVEN**

**The Night Before the Talent Contest**

Darien spent the next few days avoiding everyone, except Andrew who he couldn't avoid because they shared a room. Thankfully Andrew seemed to realise he needed to be alone and didn't press him to talk. He wandered the grounds late at night in deep contemplation. He couldn't understand what had possessed him to act so out of character. Serenity hadn't visited his dreams since that night, and her words echoed accusingly in his conscience.

A few times while out walking he had seen the others in the distance and had done the only rational thing he could do; hidden behind the nearest available object. He couldn't face them right now, especially Serena. He had seen her a few times walking in the snow with Seiya and it tore at him seeing her with the young man. Hell, it hurt whenever he saw her smiling face with her friends and he hated the feeling.

To pass the time he had practised his act for the talent show. He was going to do a few disappearing/reappearing rose tricks –an easy thing for Tuxedo Mask. He only needed to practise making sure it actually looked like a magic trick. Not that he was looking forward to it, but he had made a deal and wanted to honour it.

He sighed and ran a tired hand through his hair. The talent show was tomorrow afternoon. There was no getting out of it, and he would be forced to see everyone; to see her. The thought depressed him immensely and he suddenly felt suffocated in his room. Glancing at the time he saw that it was 1am in the morning. Everyone should be in bed by now so he could go down and make himself a coffee without being bothered. Tip-toeing down the hall he made his way to the meeting room downstairs. He opened the door and was dismayed to find a single lamp on.

_Maybe someone is here_; he thought cautiously looking around the room.

Seeing no one, he stepped into the room and made his way to the coffee machine. Half way through making his coffee he realised that there was no sugar.

"There's no sugar," a soft voice said behind him.

He groaned inwardly, cursing the fates for his awful luck before turning slowly to see Serena standing there, sugar in hand.

"I went and got some, here you go," she said, handing him the sugar.

He didn't reply, couldn't reply. His tongue suddenly felt like cement and he didn't think he could say a word without sounding like a drunken fool. Instead he did the next worst thing, stared at her.

She had her light blue pyjamas on with pink bunnies on them. Her long hair flowed down to her knees, undone from the usual meatball style. She shifted nervously on her feet, throwing a covert glance at the door – her only escape.

"Uh, goodnight Darien," she finally murmured before turning to leave.

"Wait," Darien whispered harshly, grasping her small hand in his.

She froze on the spot, but slowly turned back to face him and Darien thought he would drown in the depths of her pale blue eyes when they met his.

"Serena... I... I'm sorry," he finally said, dropping his head and her hand at the same time. Tears sprang to his eyes and he struggled to contain his high emotions, "I was awful to you and you didn't deserve it," he rasped, still looking at the floor. He found he couldn't stand anymore and sat himself on a couch beside him, burying his face in his hands as his tears flowed down his face. He couldn't remember ever feeling so awful since his parents died.

He was surprised when he felt her weight on the couch beside him as she put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Darien, it's ok. I forgive you," she whispered softly.

Darien couldn't stop himself from turning to her and fiercely hugging her small form as he cried out his shame and self-loathing. Serena just shushed him softly and ran a gentle hand through his hair, telling him that it was ok.

"No its not Serena... I don't deserve your forgiveness..." he whispered hoarsely into her hair.

"Everyone deserves a second chance Darien," she whispered back, still stroking his hair. She leant back and rested her forehead on his, taking his large hands in her small ones, "Besides, it's not whether you deserve forgiveness but if you receive it when it's given. How often do we deserve to be forgiven when we really stuff up? It's like a gift, it only works if you accept it," she said with a wisdom beyond her years.

"Then I don't accept it because I don't deserve it," Darien murmured.

"Darien, would you say you owe me for being the nasty jerk you were yesterday?" she said softly with a small smile.

He groaned, "I suppose."

"Then I demand you accept my forgiveness," she said simply, smiling at him. She wiped away his tears with her hand, "Go to bed and get some sleep. The talent contest is tomorrow and I don't want to beat a man who is already down," she said with mock seriousness.

Darien could only choke out a laugh, "You're something Serena," he said.

"That's meatball head to you," she grinned, tapping his nose, "Good night."

"Good night, meatball head."


	12. Chapter 12: Waiting for Tonight

**CHAPTER 12: WAITING FOR TONIGHT**

**The Day of The Talent Contest**

Darien woke up feeling better than he had all week.

"Well look who's up and chirpy," Andrew commented.

"Yeah," Darien could only smile.

"Well, come on. Out with it," Andrew said exasperated.

"Oh, I bumped into Serena last night. We talked. She forgave me for being a complete ass," Darien said with a slight blush, suddenly finding the carpet incredibly interesting.

"Ah," Andrew said simply, returning to brushing his teeth.

"You don't sound surprised?"

"Nah, Serena is a very forgiving person. She's something else," Andrew mumbled between brushings.

"Yeah..." Darien could only softly agree.

.

"Are you so excited or what?" Serena said excitedly, jumping up and down on her bed.

"Geez Serena, yesterday you looked like your cat had died and now you are bouncing off the walls, what gives?" Raye asked, rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Oh, Darien and I bumped into each other last night. We talked it out. I guess I just feel better not having that whole... 'thing' hanging over me, you know?" Serena chirruped.

"Last night?" Mina enquired, raising a delicate eyebrow.

Serena just tossed a pillow at her, "It is SO not like that!"

"No, she's only after Seiya!" Lita jumped in and was rewarded with Serena flinging another pillow her way.

"Geez you guys are so boy crazy!" Serena said, poking her tongue out.

.

The day went by in a flash of excitement and activity as everyone helped out to decorate the ballroom in preparation for the talent contest.

"This is so much fun!" Ami grinned with a mirth that was unusual for her reserved personality.

"I'll bet you are having a lot of fun," Mina purred at her friend, nodding suggestively toward Greg who at that moment had seen the girls and turned a soft pink.

Serena, Lita, Raye and Mina fell to the ground in stitches of laughter as Ami turned bright red before glaring at them.

"Hey girls," Andrew greeted them as they picked themselves up from the floor.

"Hey Andrew, Darien," Serena smiled before going back to putting up streamers.

"Hey guys, Seiya could use some help with the heavier stuff," Lita said, pointing to the stage.

Andrew looked at Darien who just sighed and nodded at him saying, "Yeah, I should go apologise."

Seiya stiffened as he saw Darien approach, but was relieved when Darien stuck out his hand in a gesture of peace.

"No hard feelings?" Darien enquired politely.

"None, I understand," Seiya said knowingly.

Darien just quizzically lifted his eyebrow before shrugging. There wasn't much to understand, he'd just had a really bad week. He thanked Seiya for his kind reception before leaving to help some of the other guys with the heavy lifting.

"He's so sold out to her," Seiya remarked to Andrew.

"Yeah, but he obviously can't see love when its running around right in front of him," Andrew sighed.

"Why not?"

"Darien's complicated... he's an idiot," Andrew smiled, shrugging his shoulders, "He'll figure it out one day, hopefully by then it won't be too late and some other guy has captured Serena's heart."

"Ok everyone!" the hotel manager said into a microphone handed to him, "We are just about done here so all guests may retire to their rooms. The contest starts in an hour so you had best be ready!"

.

"Serena what are you wearing under that thing?" Raye asked suspiciously, seeing her friend draped in a purple velvet cloak.

"My dress for my performance, I can't just show it off now!" Serena smiled.

"Uh huh, drama queen," Raye rolled her eyes, turning back to her reflection. She was wearing a red silk dress and her hair flowed down her back in gentle waves.

"You look a million dollars Raye," Serena complimented her friend.

"Thanks Sere."

"Hey girls," Mina said, striking a pose, "What do you think?" Mina was wearing a sparkling white simple spaghetti strap dress that ended just above her knee, but had a split that went halfway up her thigh.

"Andrew is going to die when he sees you," Lita remarked. She was wearing an emerald green dress all the way down to her ankles with strappy black high heels.

"I hope Greg likes what I am wearing," Ami said worriedly, clearly unaware how lovely she looked in her paisley blue knee-length dress.

"Ok girls, you all look fabulous... lets go!" Serena said, leading the way out the door.

"Should we tell her?" Raye whispered with a quiet laugh after Serena had slipped out.

"NO! She'll kill us. We'll tell her we backed out of the talent contest after it's all over and she already knows. It'll give us time to run and hide!" Mina giggled.

.

"Andrew, looking snappy," Darien said with a smirk.

"I try," Andrew said, straightening the bow tie of his tuxedo, "Not all of us look like Darien Chiba," he teased.

Darien just threw his friend an amused glance. He had only put on a tuxedo suit without a tie, leaving the button of his silver white shirt at his neck undone. He didn't know how attractive he looked slightly ruffled, being only concerned with the fact that he felt constrained by the tight neckline.

"Alright, if you are finished preening Andrew can we go?" Darien sighed.


	13. Chapter 13: The Talent Contest

**CHAPTER 13: THE TALENT CONTEST**

"Introducing the Starlights!" the host of the talent contest, a pudgy old fellow, cried with much ado into the microphone before handing it to Seiya.

"I didn't know Seiya was in a band," Andrew said.

"Yeah, it's dreamy," Mina sighed.

Serena just laughed at her friend and gave Seiya a wave. He winked back at her before stepping forward.

"This song is dedicated to the beautiful girls in the world, and maybe one in particular," he smiled, blushing as he said the last part.

Darien shot Serena a look, but she hadn't seemed to cotton on to the fact that Seiya was smitten with her. She had instead left the table to go see her parents who were sitting not too far away.

"Hey Darien, so what are you doing for the talent contest?"

"Ah, just some magic tricks, what are you girls doing?"

"Nothing!" Raye said, giggling behind her hand.

Darien raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, we just wanted Serena to sing," Lita piped up.

"Why?"

"You'll see," Ami said mysteriously.

Andrew leant in to Mina and asked her what the secret was. She turned to him, cupping her hand to her mouth.

"Serena has an amazing voice. She never lets anyone hear her sing though. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us girls to see our friend shine!" Mina whispered, the love for her friend evident in her voice.

The Starlights finished singing with a bow and another act took to the stage.

"So when are you girls up?" Serena said standing behind Raye.

"Oh, later on I suppose," Lita said with a poker face while Raye grinned wildly, knowing Serena couldn't see her face.

"Darien Chiba with some magic tricks folks!" the host's voice came.

Darien got up on stage and with apparent skill plucked a rose out of thin air. The audience gasped as it disappeared and the reappeared several times before he finished with a grand finale, producing a bouquet of red roses that he threw out to the ladies sitting in the front.

"Well done Darien," Andrew complimented his friend as he sat back at the table.

"It wasn't really anything," Darien said with a grin.

The night wore on with act after act. Some had decided to sing, but were quite terrible. Once or twice the host deliberately let the music fail, allowing the person to be ushered off stage so that the 'technical problems' could be fixed, only to call the next act.

"Where's Serena?" Mina asked, noticing she had disappeared.

"I think she's just getting ready," Raye said, not noticing the next act had appeared on stage.

"And now ladies and gentleman, for our final act, a love song," the host said softly in the microphone before handing it to the young woman whose face was hidden by a shadow.

"Gentleman, would you please find a lady here tonight with whom you would like to dance? I would be honoured if you would join me on the dance floor," a smooth voice came over the microphone.

The men began to move around the room, seeking a dance partner. Greg asked Ami and she politely accepted while Andrew bowed deeply before Mina, extending his hand which she laughingly accepted. Raye was swept away by Chad while Lita found herself being tapped on the shoulder by a tall brown-haired young man with striking green eyes.

"Hi, is Serena here?" Seiya said shyly, stopping by the table.

"No, I don't know where she is. Probably the bathroom; you know girls," Darien shrugged.

"Oh," an obviously disappointed Seiya said, shuffling away to ask another young lady to dance.

The smooth voice came again over the microphone, "This song is dedicated to first kisses," the woman behind the voice gave a slight giggle before the piano and violinist began playing a soft tune. The woman began to sing...

_Till You Love Me – Reba McEntire_

_I sent you roses, I warned you I would do all that I could, to show you the way that I feel,_

_Please don't say I'm wasting my time, I've got nothing but time, so I'll do all that I can_

_To catch that ghost of a chance..._

The spotlight suddenly shone on the woman and Darien, Andrew and the girls gasped to see Serena standing there. She wore a sparkling black spaghetti strap dress that hugged her slim body all the way down to her waist where it slightly flared out to settle delicately at her feet. Her hair fell in golden waves down her back, the black dress setting off her pale skin and golden locks.

She continued to sing into the chorus, her voice strong and sure.

_The sunlight; the moon light; are beyond my control,_

_And there are stars in the heavens, that I'll never hold_

_But if dreams give you power, then I'm strong enough_

_To offer my heart, and never give up_

_Till you love me._

Darien stared at the vision before him, unable to take his eyes from the confident young woman singing with grace and poise on the stage. Couples continued to dance slowly together on the dance floor, swayed by the romance of the song.

Serena smiled at the dancing couples and gracefully made her way down the stairs to mingle with the couples. Taking the hand of a random young man sitting alone she danced with him a moment as she sung the second verse...

_I looked in your eyes so bright and so blue, and that's when I knew... that you could be mine_

_If good things come to those who will wait, well I guess I can wait if that's what I have to do_

_Oh it's worth it for you_

Darien left his chair, walking slowly to where she had danced with the single young men, taking them by the hand for a quick waltz before returning them to their seat with a smile. She walked to the middle of the dance floor and, throwing her free hand out, her eyes closed with a smile as she entered into the chorus again...

_The sunlight; the moon light; are beyond my control,_

_And there are stars in the heavens, that I'll never hold_

_But if dreams give you power, then I'm strong enough_

_To offer my heart, and never give up_

_Till you love me._

A brief guitar solo took over the ball room and she swayed gently to the music. Darien walked up behind her, taking her by the hand to dance the few bars she had free. She still had her eyes closed and a small smile played on her lips. He whisked her around in a twirl before bringing her back to him, his eyes never leaving her perfect face. She suddenly squeezed his hand before turning to walk back up onto the stage, never seeing who she had danced with those precious few moments.

Darien stared at her as she sauntered up the steps before abruptly turning to face the crowd, her small fist clenched tightly to her chest as she poured her heart into her song and her voice rose with easily controlled power as she reached the crescendo of the song...

_The sunlight; the moon light; are beyond my control,_

_And there are stars in the heavens, that I'll never hold_

_But if dreams give you power, then I'm strong enough_

_To offer my heart, and never give up_

_Till you love me... till you love me... till you love me..._

Darien slowly left the dance floor and unseen exited the ballroom. He felt light in his heart and a silly grin played on his handsome face. He couldn't get her out of his head and he sighed as he leant against the wall behind a fern to savour the feeling of his heart fluttering. Images of Serena filled his mind of her vivaciousness and love for life. He remembered the maturity she had shown him last night as she forgave him and in the park when she told him she was meant for only one person, forever. He remembered the love she had for her friends and the loyal love they gave back with equal ardour. He remembered her gracefulness as she skated, and the way she had fiercely defended the young boy in the park who was being bullied. He remember her defiant face as he teased her mercilessly every day they met since she had first hit him with her failed test paper.

_You were right Serenity, she is an unquenchable spirit, a fire that won't be snuffed out_.

Darien sighed, and closing his eyes he accepted his fate. He was completely, utterly, impossibly, unbelievably in love.

* * *

**The End**

If you want to hear "Serena's song", go to YouTube and put in "Till you love me" and click the first link. I think Reba has an amazing voice and this is my favourite song at the moment.

.

Yes, I am planning another sequel :-) - How could I end it here? They still have two weeks of vacation left in the snowy mountains! Serena still needs to get her second first kiss hehe.


	14. Preview to the next installment

Hi Everyone

I promise I am working on the next installment of Sailor Moon Exposed. I never thought it would go this far and to tell you the truth I am not sure where or when it will end. I'm enjoying developing Serena and Darien, and hope to develop some of the other characters a smidge as well. But lets be honest – who cares about them! I am truly only a fan of Sailor Moon and Tuxie.

At the moment I've just put together a story-timeline so that I can see where the story is going (huge hint there). I'll definitely be answering some of the unfinished stuff in the last two stories… so here are a few teasers to keep you going while I work on it:

1. Someone pairs up – will it end in a kiss?

2. The cost of being a Sailor Scout.

3. Why is it that Darien cannot just tell Serena she is the Princess?

4. Someone puts his heart on the line.

5. Tuxedo Mask makes an appearance – will Serena get that second first kiss?

6. Someone has stolen Serena's heart just like Serenity warned.

7. You are all going to hate me by the end of the sequel - now titled Young Hearts - bwahahaha...

8. ... But don't worry, I believe in happy endings!


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